1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a system for providing technology in plastic hand baskets or hand containers that can be detect a theft in progress when such hand baskets or hand containers are stolen. This invention uses RFID technology and integrates with camera and video surveillance systems to detect a theft in progress and trigger an alarm on the surveillance systems for immediate identification of theft.
2. Background of Invention
It has been proposed to place a RFID tag on or in a plastic hand basket or plastic hand container. Such plastic hand baskets or plastic hand containers are commonly used for shopping in grocery stores, pharmacies, or other similar stores, or any retail store, and such containers are commonly removed from the store illegally filled with stolen items.
The present disclosure embodies a number of aspects that can be implemented separately from or in combination with each other. An RFID tag can be placed on the plastic basket or container, or embedded in the plastic of such container or basket. An RFID reader can detect the RFID tag via short range frequency by placement of the RFID reader at store exits, thus providing a positive reading of the RFID tag as the plastic basket or container is leaving the store exit, indicating a theft is in progress. Using the RFID signal, the RFID reader will signal the camera surveillance system with an alarm that will activate the camera alarm system and alerting security that a theft has occurred.
In addition, another aspect of the invention is to place a GPS receiver in the plastic container or basket where a GPS location can be sent to law enforcement to track the stolen basket.
One principal target of this invention is grocery stores where thefts of baskets that are filled with other items are commonly stolen. This invention provides both deterrence to theft and an increased rate of identification and apprehension of perpetrators.
While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been described above, it will be recognized and understood that various modifications may be made therein and the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications that may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.
3. Definition of Terms
The following term definitions are provided to assist in conveying an understanding of the various exemplary embodiments and features disclosed herein.
GPS
The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a space-based global navigation satellite system (GNSS) that provides reliable location and time information in all weather and at all times and anywhere on or near the Earth when and where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites. It is maintained by the United States government and is freely accessible by anyone with a GPS receiver.
RFID
Radio-frequency identification (RFID) is a technology that uses communication via radio waves to exchange data between a reader and an electronic tag attached to an object, for the purpose of identification and tracking.
Fixed RFID: Reader reads tags in a stationary position. These fixed readers are set up specific interrogation zones and create a “bubble” of RF energy that can be tightly controlled if the physics is well engineered. This allows a very definitive reading area for when tags go in and out of the interrogation zone.
Mobile RFID: Reader is mobile when the reader reads tags. Mobile readers include handhelds, carts and vehicle mounted RFID readers.
3 types of RFID tags
Passive RFID tags: Have no power source and require an external electromagnetic field to initiate a signal transmission. Typically they get powered by the RF energy that the readers transmit. This type of tags typically store between 32 and 128 bits of data and are Read-Only.
Active RFID tags: Contain a battery and can transmit signals once an external source (interrogator') has be successfully identified. It can store up to 1 MB of data and are rewritable.
Battery assisted passive (BAP) RFID tags: Require an external source to wake up but have significant higher forward link capability providing greater range.
RFID Tags Range & Frequency
                Lower-frequency systems are less expensive: higher-frequency systems offer increased range.        Low-Frequency (LF) 125 to 134 KHz band        High-Frequency (HF) 13.56 MHz        Ultra High-Frequency (UHF) 433 MHZ and 860 to 956 MHz band        Microwave-Frequency 2.45 to 5.8 GHz band        
The range will depend on the type of frequencies used.
SMS
Short Message Service (SMS) is the text communication service component of phone, web, or mobile communication systems, using standardized communications protocols that allow the exchange of short text messages between fixed line or mobile phone devices
MMS
Multimedia Messaging Service, or MMS, is a standard way to send messages that include multimedia content to and from mobile phones. It extends the core SMS (Short Message Service) capability that allowed exchange of text messages only up to 160 characters in length.
PDA
A personal digital assistant (PDA), also known as a palmtop computer, or personal data assistant, is a mobile device that functions as a personal information manager. Current PDAs often have the ability to connect to the Internet. A PDA has an electronic visual display, enabling it to include a web browser, but some newer models also have audio capabilities, enabling them to be used as mobile phones portable media players. Many PDAs can access the Internet, intranets or extranets via Wi-Fi or Wireless Wide Area Networks.
Portable Computing Device
Mobile computing is a form of human-computer interaction by which a computer is expected to be transported during normal usage. Mobile computing has three aspects: mobile communication, mobile hardware, and mobile software. The first aspect addresses communication issues in ad-hoc and infrastructure networks as well as communication properties, protocols, data formats and concrete technologies. The second aspect is on the hardware, e.g., mobile devices or device components. The third aspect deals with the characteristics and requirements of mobile applications.
Many types of mobile computers have been introduced since the 1990s including the:                Wearable computer        Personal digital assistant/enterprise digital assistant        Smartphone        Carputer        Ultra-Mobile PC        Tablet computerSNMP        
Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is an Internet-standard protocol for managing devices on IP networks. Devices that typically support SNMP include routers, switches, servers, workstations, printers, modem racks, and more. It is used mostly in network management systems to monitor network-attached devices for conditions that warrant administrative attention. SNMP is a component of the Internet Protocol Suite as defined by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). It consists of a set of standards for network management, including an application layer protocol, a database schema, and a set of data objects.
URL
In computing, a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) is a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) that specifies where an identified resource is available and the mechanism for retrieving it. In popular usage and in many technical documents and verbal discussions it is often incorrectly used as a synonym for URl.[1] The best-known example of the use of URLs is for the addresses of web pages on the World Wide Web, such as http://www.example.com/.
Smartphone
A smartphone is a mobile phone that offers more advanced computing ability and connectivity than a contemporary feature phone. Smartphones and feature phones may be thought of as handheld computers integrated with a mobile telephone, but while most feature phones are able to run applications based on platforms such as Java ME, a smartphone usually allows the user to install and run more advanced applications. Smartphones run complete operating system software providing a platform for application developers. Thus, they combine the functions of a camera phone and a personal digital assistant (PDA).
RTSP or Streaming Media
Streaming media is multimedia that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a streaming provider.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streaming media-cite note-0 The name refers to the delivery method of the medium rather than to the medium itself. The distinction is usually applied to media that are distributed over telecommunications networks, as most other delivery systems are either inherently streaming (e.g., radio, television) or inherently non-streaming (e.g., books, video cassettes, audio CDs). The verb ‘to stream’ is also derived from this term, meaning to deliver media in this manner. Internet television is a commonly streamed medium.
Live streaming, more specifically, means taking the media and broadcasting it live over the Internet. The process involves a camera for the media, an encoder to digitize the content, a media publisher where the streams are made available to potential end-users and a content delivery network to distribute and deliver the content. The media can then be viewed by end-users live.
RSS (Most Commonly Expanded as Really Simple Syndication)
RSS is a family of web feed formats used to publish frequently updated works—such as blog entries, news headlines, audio, and video—in a standardized format. An RSS document (which is called a “feed”, “web feed”, or “channel”) includes full or summarized text, plus metadata such as publishing dates and authorship. Web feeds benefit publishers by letting them syndicate content automatically. They benefit readers who want to subscribe to timely updates from favored websites or to aggregate feeds from many sites into one place. RSS feeds can be read using software called an “RSS reader”, “feed reader”, or “aggregator”, which can be web-based, desktop-based, or mobile-device-based. A standardized XML file format allows the information to be published once and viewed by many different programs. The user subscribes to a feed by entering into the reader the feed's URI or by clicking a feed icon in a web browser that initiates the subscription process. The RSS reader checks the user's subscribed feeds regularly for new work, downloads any updates that it finds, and provides a user interface to monitor and read the feeds. RSS allows users to avoid manually inspecting all of the websites they are interested in, and instead subscribe to websites such that all new content is pushed onto their browsers when it becomes available.
IM (Instant Messaging)
Instant messaging (IM) is a form of real-time direct text-based communication between two or more people using personal computers or other devices, along with shared clients. The user's text is conveyed over a network, such as the Internet. More advanced instant messaging software clients also allow enhanced modes of communication, such as live voice or video calling.